Depo-Provera Lawsuit Settlements

In civil court cases, a settlement is one way plaintiffs and defendants can end a dispute. When they agree on terms, the parties can avoid lengthy, costly court cases and negative publicity. In some cases, a neutral mediator may help plaintiffs and defendants reach a settlement.

The parties have the option to make the terms private or public. Defendants can also settle without admitting wrongdoing.

There are alternatives to settlements, including:

• Summary judgment: Either party can request a summary judgment when neither side disputes the facts of the case.
• Dismissal: Either party can request that the court dismiss the lawsuit. Sometimes, this is because the court hearing the case is in the wrong jurisdiction or because the defendant hasn’t done anything legally wrong.
• Verdicts: After a trial, a judge or jury can render a verdict in favor of one party. In some cases, the rule of comparative fault may find that a plaintiff was partially responsible for the harm they suffered. In some cases, that can lead to a lower award, even if the defendants were negligent.

What Depo-Provera plaintiffs are suing for

In the Depo-Provera MDL, plaintiffs are seeking compensation from Pfizer. They allege that:

• People who used Depo-Provera caused, or substantially contributed to the development of, meningiomas.
• Pfizer knew or should’ve known about the link between Depo-Provera and the development of meningiomas.
• Pfizer didn’t adequately inform women of the potential risks.

Plaintiffs are seeking compensation for:

• Legal expenses
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Past and future lost wages
• Punitive damages

Only Depo-Provera users who developed meningiomas are currently eligible to join the MDL.

Current state of Depo-Provera litigation

The lawsuits are consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL) action called In re: Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3140. Judge M. Casey Rodgers has overseen the MDL in the District Court for the Northern District of Florida since February 2025.

The cases against Pfizer have not gone to trial nor have they reached any settlements.

In October 2025, Pfizer’s attorneys asked Judge Rodgers to dismiss the case. They argued that the company filed an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to add a warning to the Depo-Provera label, which the FDA ultimately denied, prompting Pfizer to move  for dismissal. Subsequent to Pfizer’s motion, in December 2025, the FDA approved a label change for Depo-Provera to add a warning for meningioma. Judge Rodgers has not issued a decision on the dismissal request.

The judge has selected five pilot cases for the MDL to be the first cases tried. These cases will test the scientific and legal merit of the arguments presented by plaintiffs and defendants.

Because no Depo-Provera lawsuits have settled or gone to trial, it’s difficult to determine any future payouts. The amount of compensation may also vary depending on the exact harm each plaintiff experienced.

In an MDL, plaintiffs generally receive an award based on the facts of their case. This is different from a class action lawsuit, where plaintiffs get an equal share of an amount determined by the court.

Motley Rice attorneys have been involved in birth control settlements involving thousands of plaintiffs. In 2014, they helped negotiate a $100 million settlement to resolve nearly 2,000 claims related to the NuvaRing vaginal ring. Motley Rice also advocated for women in reaching a $1.6 billion settlement related to 39,000 Essure birth control device claims against Bayer.

Past settlement agreements should not be interpreted as an indication of how much a Depo-Provera lawsuit is worth.

Learn more about our birth control lawsuits and settlements.

The medical attorneys at Motley Rice have represented thousands of women injured by prescription and over-the-counter medications and medical devices.

If you believe a prescribed birth control product may have injured you or a loved one, the legal professionals at Motley Rice have the resources to investigate and help you:

• Identify the potentially harmful medication
• Investigate whether it harmed you
• Review the manufacturer’s regulatory compliance
• Examine the manufacturer’s instructions regarding use and warnings about side effects
• Review other issues that could affect your claim

Read more about our experience representing women in litigation related to medical devices and medication.

Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without first consulting your doctor. Discontinuing a prescribed medication without your doctor’s advice can result in injury or death. Depo-Provera and NuvaRing remain approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.